Saturday, August 28, 2010

McIlrath Looking to Complete His Game

Jess Rubenstein at The Prospect Park was able to sit down with Rangers 2010 first round pick Dylan McIlrath to discuss numerous issues including what areas he needs to improve on...

"I’m looking to complete my game as a whole, fine tune my hands and feet while also adjusting to the pace of the NHL."

...i don't know McIlrath from a hole in the wall, but he seems like one of those players who's quiet and soft spoken off the ice, but as soon as he steps into the rink he becomes this tough, physical d-man....great interview by Rubenstein.Remember to follow me on Twitter & Facebook or e-mail me at nyrfan94@yahoo.com.

68 comments:

I'm optimistic about Mcllrath. I cant wait to see him stand up Crosby for the first time. If he develops right, there's no doubt he'll be able to compete with NHLers. I have no problem with the Rangers picking a big, tough d-man in witch they can develop into something great.

The guy sucks. He scored 7 goals IN ONE SEASON OF JUNIOR. Not to mention he's gonna take at least 3 years of seasoning b4 he gets into the NHL. Fowler, on the other hand, is an incredible two-way defenseman who will make the jump this year. Not to mention Gormley, perhaps the most complete dman in the drat, who is mature beyond his years and will also make the Coyotes out of camp.

They didnt draft him to score goals, dumbass And who the hells talking about fowler?

Like its some sort of surprise to the team that he's going to a couple of years to develop? They drafted him knowing that.

LikeI said, I like this pick and am optimistic it will work out. But draft pick are almost impossible to predict, and anybody that comes on here and makes proclamations about how picks are going to work out is being foolish.

Some of the best minds in hockey realize that picks are hit or miss (with a few exceptions), but you know how these d-men will work out. go away.

I'm quite aware that they didn't draft him to score goals. I would certainly hope so, given his stats. What I AM saying is that Fowler is a complete two-way defenseman that will undoubtedly win Norris Trophies. Scouts have compared him to Lidstrom, Niedermayer, etc. You know who McIlrath draws comparisons to? Jovanovski. The most overpaid, overrated player in hockey. So there you go. The Rangers screwed up. Admit it. Let's see... Gormley and Fowler. And then McIlrath. Yes. Even the Islanders wouldn't have screwed that up.

Im curious. then, as to why you based your contention that he sucks on the fact that he scored only seven goals. Way to say something one post and then completely backtrack in the next.

And to say that a player who has never played in the NHL will one day win a Norris trophy is maybe the dumbest thing I have ever read on this blog from you trolls, and trust me, you trolls have said some dumb things. You cant predict that and to try makes you look silly

But I suppose that, when your team has been so bad for so long and hasnt won a playoff series since last century, then all you have is hope. all you have is the need to go on another teams blog, and comment on a post about another teams 1st pick, and jump up and down and scream "look at us! our picks better. I mean, look at how well we have drafted over the past 15 years."

The Islanders haven't drafted well over the last 15 years. They HAVE over the last four. I seem to remember a certain young man named Chris Pronger being drafted 2nd overall by the St. Louis Blues. He was projected to be Norris Trophy winner and low and behold...he did. I call t mind another young man named Scott NIedermayer, also projected to be a Norris Trophy Winner in his draft year...and low and behold he did. Projecting young dmen to be Norris winners is not dumb. It is only dumb if your team passed on two defenseman who will dominate the NHL, and the Norris Trophy nominations, for the next ten years.

You IDIOT. How hard is it to predict that 2nd and 3rd OVERALL picks will win a Norris trophy? Oh, and the D-man you used as a comparison initially, Lidstrom, was picked 53rd overall...Think anyone was predicting that he would have won 6 out of the last ten Norris trophies? Thats right, dummy. Your crap-ass, 2nd and 2rd overall examples have each won UNO Norris', and Mr. 53rd overall has one 6.

No, but you're right though...predicting d-men isn't dumb. I mean, look how it worked out for all of those teams that passed on Lidstrom.

Do you actually think about these comments when you write them or does your cat just run across the keyboard.

Anyway, on what basis is fowler going to dominate the NHL? If anyone is going to dominate the nhl, it will be the pronger-esque defenseman that goes out every game looking to crush people and back his team up.(Mcilrath if you missed my implication).

@idiot They also likened mcilrath to chris pronger. Just because you're likened to them, doesn't mean you're gonna be them. Fowler was passed on for a reason. He fell past SEVERAL teams who had a need for defensemen, including the stars, who were planning on taking mcilrath if we didn't. There's probably a good reason as to why he fell.

Also, its easy to draft well when you get the 1st or 2nd pick each year cause you suck so horribly. The islanders should be proud. They got the charity draft picks and are still at the bottom of the conference.

@danA lot of people in other organizations commended the mcilrath pick after it was done. Its a kid with a lot of potential, who works hard to improve and succeed. He's a tough kid who plays a shutdown game. Just needs to work on his hands and footwork and he'll be ok.

sfalcon27- McIlrath is a Pronger-esque defenseman? Ur kidding, right? Pronger is a goal-scoring, play-making, hard-hitting, minute-munching, dominate defenseman. If anyone is "Pronger-esque" it is Erik Gudbranson. McIlrath has absolutely no offensive upside. Honestly one of the most idiotic comparisons ever..think b4 u type.

LI Joe- Gormley is weak defensively? Again, an unbelievably idiotic comment from a Ranger fan. Fowler has holes in his defense, yes. Although he is still a solid two-way player. But Gormley? Gormley was named the most complete defenseman in the draft by virtually EVERY SINGLE SCOUT. He doesn't have much flair, but he rarely makes mistakes. Again...think b4 u type.

He DOES have holes in his defense. But so does Duncan Keith. And so does Zdeno Chara. Unfortunately, not every player is perfect. Fowler will mature and improve his defensive game. When he does, he will be deadly.

The problem is that you can't tell me one player is going to develop into something and another isn't. They are too young, you just cant tell. I used the Lidstrom example - 53rd overall and 6 of the last 10 Norris trophies!

If all you have to hang your hat on is something as unpredictable as draft picks, then you're sad. ESPECIALLY since your team has had so many high picks for so long and done nothing with them.

troll - both of those guys fell dramatically because of their weakness in their own zone. not me saying it but rather the various teams and their scouts and the reporters especially those in canada who follow this stuff.

but i'm supposed to take the word of a troll who says he's a surgeon but really works at wendys. i think not.

Wait a minute...so you guys honestly believe that McIlrath is better defensively than Gormley? Wow. Just lost about 1,000 brain cells.

The reason why Annoying Joe won't list the picks is bc he knows the majority of them were decent prospects (some sucked, Scissons, for ex) and many are on their way to becoming solid NHLers. Also bc he knows the Rags haven't drafted well either the last 15 years.

@idiotthink before I type? you should do the same. i said he was a PRONGER-ESQUE defenseman, in the way that pronger goes out every game looking to hurt the other team, and support his team through his rough style of play. I really dont care if McIlrath scores at all, just as long as he can keep the other team at bay. (though a few goals would be nice)

P.S-since when does an islanders troll have 1000 brain cells to lose? leave the hard work to your cat and try not to hurt yourself.

so lets see one event took place in the 70's by 1 fan taking a stick whereas the other took place in the last few yrs by hundreds if not thousands of punks by littering the ice like they would litter their own living room. a disgrace. and somehow mr wendys thinks the 2 are comparable.

as you would say think before you write.

i really hope you are not the best the isles fanbase has to offer because if you are they are in more trouble than i thought. i seriously doubt you could spell IQ even if i spotted you the I

LI Joe- Hundreds if not thousands of fans? You would be the first to say that Nassau Coliseum has never seen hundreds of fans.

Annoying Joe- Tavares, Bailey, Okposo, Nino

Only two are solid prospects? LMAO. Which ones are you referring to, moron? Tavares is a future superstar, Bailey was recently named one of the best under 21s in the league. Okposo was also named in this category and is the next American superstar, and every scout on Earth is in love with Nino. Plus, your team wanted him so badly, or so you say. Do some research...ya jackass.

The point of all of this is that it is ok to have an opinion, but to jump up and down and annoint draft picks as definite future superstars is foolish and mnakes you look like the idiot you are.

None of us are saying that McIlrath is the next norris trophy winner, we're just saying that we are optiomistic and excited about him.

I did my research and laid it all out for you. Convenient that you chose to ignore 17 YEARS of futility and bookend your lame argument with Scissons (20 yeard ago) and their last 4 picks.

Fact is, you have no argument, just sad hope and an opinion based in fantasy, not fact.

Again, you want to be glad bout your teams "future"? fine. But dont come on a rangers blog and tell us how great the isles have drafted over the past decade and a half cuz they havent drafted for shit. Do you know how hard it is to have so many high picks for so many years and still suck over all of that time?

So go away, you got owned. Take your medicine like a good girl and go bitch about your crap team on an isles blog.

The Islanders have drafted terribly over the last 20 years, excluding the last four. I'm not saying they didn't. But coming from a fan of a team that drafted the likes of:Al MontoyaHugh JessimanLauri KorpikoskiDan Blackburn Pavel BrendlStefan CherneskiJeff Brown

You shouldn't be talking. Not to mention you have two decent prospects: Kreider and Stepan (Grachev is a bust in the making). We have de Haan, Hamonic, Nelson, Koskinen, Poulin, Niedereitter, Martin, and last but not least Kirill Kabanov and Kirill Petrov. You are threatened by our future. Stop kidding yourselves.

Please review the comments section above and note that at no time did was anyone praising the Rangers' recent draft history. Thats why we don't waste our time visiting opposing teams blogs saying how great our team drafts. We don't waste our time trying to predict something as unpredictable as draft picks. We leave that to morons like you.

Does your team have a bright future with good prospects? maybe they do. Do the Rangers have the same? Maybe. All I have been trying to do is point out to you is that it is stupid to come here and make proclamations and annointing Hall of Famers out of kids who havent played an NHL game. And, again, the isles have had TWICE as many top ten first rounders over the past 17 yrs as the Rangers, so to compare the two teams' draft history is comical.

Is this what being an Islander fan has been reduced too, "Our prospects are better than your prospects"?

Facts, wit, and style? You brought up pointless facts, first of all. Second of all...what wit? I have yet to discover as rare an artifact as a Ranger fan with wit. Third of all...style? Not even gonna address that one. Owned? Owned indeed. You got owned. Thank you for admitting.

oh the isles have a couple thousand fans or so, of the white trash variety with the troll here as exhbibit A. since you guys are front runners you make appearances almost as rarely as halleys comet. but the playoffs brought the "fans" out and you acted as expected like little low class losers who littered the ice when a call went against you.

poor babies. well you won't have to worry about misbehaving in the playoffs this season.

Did you seriously just call Islander fans frontrunners? What exactly are we "running" to? Rangers fans, especially those of the Long Island variety, a frontrunners. Rather than support Long Island's only sports team and New York's only team to achieve a true dynasty, they choose to support the team in NYC, with better attendance, more big name players, and more money. That, my friend, is the definition of a frontrunner.

The Rags were 13th in attendance last year. Yeah. That's what I call "full" every night. Madison Square Garden, on a regular night, has about as many true Ranger fans as an Islander game has Islander fans. The rest are all tourists and businessmen. With the occasional front-running Long Island family. Get real.

I must be getting punked because you couldnt be making you look silly this easy.

The Rangers attendance was at 99.3% The only reason they were 13th is because every other team above them were at 100%. Thats based on building capacity. Thats a sellout virtually every night. That tourist B.S. is just that, B.S. and does not account for nightly sellouts. Nice try using stats. Careful, your going to hurt yourself.

Oh the Isles, 78%. Thats 27th in the league. Pathetic. I think what Li Joe meant when he called front runners was that you're fair weather. Or disloyal. Or ignorant of the game. Or unable to outnumber Ranger fans in your own building. or smelly. Take your pick.

I must end this before you Ranger fans embarrass yourselves any further. I'd rather start an argument with a wall, because I could probably have a more meaningful, intellectual debate than I could with you people. If the New York Rangers finished, 26th, 30th, and 26th, respectively, do you think their attendance would be 13th overall in the league? Consider yourselves lucky you will never find the answer to this question because yours is the richest hockey team in America and finds a way to attract enough free agents (plus a good goalie) to compete every year. The NYI are a struggling franchise. The thousands of fans you have seen at the Coliseum the past three years...we are the true fans. We are not "fairweather frontrunners". We pay good money to watch a terrible, terrible team. But this is because we believe in better days. Pray you do not have to undergo what Islander fans have suffered the past few years. Because I guarantee you if that happens, many of you will abandon ship, unable to cope with a embarrassingly inferior team. Just because you have the luxury of a consistently competitive team and because you are willing to spend money to see them does not make you "loyal". If the Rangers ever finish 26th or worse, then you can rub your 99.3% attendance in my face. But until then...keep your mouth shut about things you don't understand.

24th? I said 26th or worse...ya jackass. 24th means the team was virtually in it right up until the end of the season. That's the way the NHL is. STOP EMBARRASSING YOURSELF! I DEMAND YOU STOP EMBARRASSING YOURSELF! YOU ARE KILLING ME WITH LAUGHTER!

troll what i meant was the few times in recent memory the isles made the playoffs the fans came out of the woodwork and the attendance was respectable. however all that led to was more white trash isles fans who faced with a few calls they did not agree with disgraced themselves by littering the ice with junk. they did this several times.

unfortuantely since i live on long island its almost guilt by association and i have to explain to people that i';m not one of those. i root for a respectable team with great fans who are classy as well. you can not say the same

24th is 8 spots from a playoff spot...you know only 16 teams make it, right? there were only 4 teams with worse records. they finished ten points out of a playoff spot. ya they were right in the thick of it. you're a silly boy.

Annoying Joe-10 points out of a playoff spot is right in the thick of it, you moron. How long have you been watching NHL hockey? There are teams that finish 20th or worse, that aren't officially eliminated until the last week of the season. Your 99-00 Rangers were pretty competitive for a playoff spot, thus attracting large crowds.

LI Joe- First of all, get out of this argument, stop double teaming. I know you Rags folk LOVE double teaming, as your scumbag players do it all the time (Mara and Avery vs. Kovalchuk LMAO). Did you just say Rangers fans are classy? Do you realize Ranger fans are notorious drunks who, at every Islander-Ranger game, start fights with kids, verbally abuse women, and eventually get dragged out by security, disgracing themselves and their fellow fans? There are many white trash Islander fans. But there are many Manhattan trash Ranger fans. And also...if you are a Ranger fan and you think we're white trash...GET THE F--- OFF LONG ISLAND!

I will close on this note. If the New York Rangers were made to suffer through what the New York Islanders have suffered the past 20 years (consistent incompetence, horrific coaches and GMs, criminal owners), you wouldn't "be there". You would all jump off the bandwagon. You may have gone 54 years without a Cup, but at least you were competitive. Rangers fans have never truly been tested, pray you never will be.

Colin Campbell is an idiot because he makes ridiculous decisions regarding suspensions. He will give 2 game suspensions for elbowing to Corey Perry and Denis Gauthier and then decide to "make an example" out of Islanders players like Thomas Pock and Brendan Witt. He also refuses to suspend players who cheapshot Islanders. For example, Chris Pronger hit John Tavares from behind and knocked three of his teeth out last season, but was not suspended. Pronger, although many don't know about this incident, also slashed Trent Hunter on the back of the head with his stick in December, but was not suspended.